


The Trials of Corona

by pride_frog



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Varian and the Seven Kingdoms
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:00:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28125774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pride_frog/pseuds/pride_frog
Summary: Whenever a subject of Corona turns 18, they undergo a trial. Each one is different, and whoever makes it back alive, is rewarded greatly.When Varian’s turn for this trial comes, he wasn’t expecting help. Least of all help from a handsome thief who was planning on betraying him. But hey, what he doesn’t know won’t kill him...right?
Relationships: Hugo/Varian (Disney: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms), Quirin & Varian (Disney)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	1. The Preparation

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo I’ve been thinking of this for a few weeks and I’ve finally started writing it. I’m really excited for this au for some reason. Angst, I guess. You guys will be getting quite a bit from this fic.  
> Anyways, enjoy!

“Varian Ruddiger? The king is ready for you.” Varian looked up from where he sat as the throne room doors were pushed open. He stayed silent as he walked up to the throne, King Fredrick perched on it. He kneeled down into a deep bow before standing up straight again and being addressed.  
“Varian Ruddiger. Birthday, March 24, correct?”  
“Yes, your majesty.” Fredrick set down the paper he was looking at and searched Varian’s face for a moment before speaking again.  
“Varian, you have a very unique trial. It is three tests that make up your trial, and it is very dangerous. I need you to find the remaining three pieces of the Demanitus Scroll.”  
“‘Remaining three pieces?’ I thought that the Demanitus Scroll was lost centuries ago.”  
“Hidden, not lost. We found one piece, but three are still missing. We have made a map of where we believe the pieces are, but we need you to retrieve them. Nigel?” The advisor stepped forward, handing Varian a rolled up map. The younger man took it and opened it, seeing that the places the scroll was were indeed, marked. He rolled it up again before looking back up at the king.  
“Why? Why are you sending me on such a difficult trial?” The king leaned forward little.  
“Because you are the only one fit for it. I’ve heard many good things about you, Varian. Can I trust you to not let me down?” Varian’s mind raced, trying to process the king’s words. ‘Only one fit for this trial?’ Why?  
“Yes, your majesty.”  
“Good.” He waved towards a door on the side of the throne room, where two guards opened it. “You may be excused.” Varian walked through the door before looking art the map again. A shiver went down his spine as he realized some of the places he had to go through.  
———  
Varian stayed up all night, studying the map and packing. He didn’t know how long he would be gone, and he wanted to be as prepared as possible.  
Sometime long after midnight, right before dawn, Varian heard a knock on his door.  
“Son? May I come in?”  
“Yeah, dad.” Quirin sighed upon seeing the mess of his son’s room.  
“Varian, have you been up all night?”  
“Yeah. I’ve been trying to see what I’ll need for my trial.”  
“I have something for you.” Varian looked up at his father, who had stepped closer to him. “It’s outside. Follow me.” He was out the door without another word. Varian glanced around before scurrying after his father.  
Once they got to the stables, Quirin pulled a tarp off of a caravan. It was small, most likely designed to only house one or two people at a time. The outside was painted a deep blue, and Varian could see a large desk and shelves through the windows.  
“I’ve been working on this for some time. Fredrick warned me about your trial a while ago,” Quirin said. He was gazing at the caravan sadly, knowing that in a few short hours, it would be taking his son away from him.  
“I figured that you’d want something like this to stay in. It’s better than setting up a tent, plus it’s easier to carry everything you need.” He was startled by Varian’s arms wrapping around him. He pulled his son close, practically engulfing him.  
“Thank you, Dad. It’s perfect.”  
“I’m glad you like it. Come on, I’ll help you finish packing.  
———  
By the time they were done, it was midmorning. Varian was peached atop the seat at the front of his caravan, holding reigns that led to a majestic horse leading the tiny structure. Ruddiger was curled up on the bench beside him.  
“Stay safe, son.”  
“I will. I love you, Dad.”  
“I love you too, Varian.”  
Quirin watched as the caravan got smaller and smaller, retreating further away from him. With a small pang of sadness, he noticed that his son didn’t look back even once. He stood there long after Varian left his sight, knowing full well that he may have just seen his son for the last time.


	2. The Stranger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this fic is a bit of a mess so far. I’m still trying to figure some stuff out with it, so sorry that it’s all over the place right now.

About a week into his journey, Varian heard a rustling in the bushes to his left. After a moment, a tall, blonde man stumbled onto the path, nearly running into Duke. The horse snorted at him, but the man wasn’t paying attention. He was looking at Varian, who was staring back.  
He was…attractive, Varian supposed. His blonde hair was tied into a messy ponytail, showing off his undercut. His emerald green eyes were framed by a pair of circular glasses, which were perched on his slightly crooked nose.  
Varian spoke first.  
“What- who are you?” The other man blinked, glancing behind him.  
“I’m Hugo. Who are you?”  
“Varian.”  
“What are you doing so deep in the woods? It’s dangerous out here.”  
“I could ask you the same thing,” Varian said. “But if you must know… I’m leaving Corona.”  
“Oh. Are you starting your trial?”  
“Yeah. How’d you know?” Hugo raised an eyebrow.  
“Let’s see. A man who looks to be about 18, saying that he’s leaving Corona, which is a kingdom famous for sending each citizen on a trial of sorts once they turn 18. Is there really any other option?”  
“Oh. I guess not.” Varian’s face flushed red in embarrassment.  
“Need any assistance? It could be pretty dangerous.”  
“Is that even legal?”  
“I dunno. It’s your trial. You decide.” Varian paused for a moment, thinking of the pros and cons.  
On one hand, he was pretty sure letting a complete stranger help him with something he was supposed to do on his own could get him killed by Fredrick. On the other, it could be pretty helpful to have someone to help him if he was in a dangerous situation. It’s harder to get yourself killed when you have someone helping you. Plus, having company would be nice. And if King Fredrick didn’t find out, was he really breaking the law?  
“Alright. You can join me.” Hugo’s face lit up. “But you have to pull your own weight.”  
“That can be arranged, Hairstripe.”  
“My name’s Varian.”  
“I know.” Varian huffed as Hugo climbed onto the bench beside him. Ruddiger looked up from his spot on Varian’s lap and glared at the blonde for a moment before going back to sleep. Duke started walking again, and they continued on their way, Varian unaware of what would await him on his path.  
———  
To be completely honest, Hugo didn’t want this assignment when Donella first gave it to him. Helping a Coronian on their trial before betraying them or possibly watching them die? Boring.  
And then he saw Varian. Realizing that he would be helping a cute boy who actually understood sarcasm, and was sarcastic himself was a game changer. Hugo’s mind went blank when he saw those baby blue eyes for the first time, realizing that he would be seeing them every day for who knows how long. Varian was… unique. He was smart, and he was interesting. Hugo hadn’t been around someone like him for god knows how long.  
And yet, he hated it. Immediately, he hated knowing that he would have to hurt this man sometime in the future. But he couldn’t hate it. He couldn’t get attached, that was the one rule. He knew what happened when he got attached to people. He didn’t want that fate befalling Varian.  
However, despite everything, he found himself laying awake at night, listening to the quiet snoring from the man sleeping on the bunk beneath him. He found himself wishing countless times in the next year that he didn’t have to hurt Varian. That he didn’t have to betray him. However, as always, the universe was against him.  
———  
That first night after meeting Hugo, Varian laid awake, wondering if he had made the right decision. He sighed and rolled over, Ruddiger worming his way under the man’s arm. He played with the raccoon’s fur as he thought.  
What would Fredrick do if he realized that Varian had let someone else help him on his trial? Was it illegal? Could he get killed? Or was Hugo part of the trial? Maybe Fredrick knew how dangerous this was, and knew that he would need someone to help him? Was the scroll really so important that Fredrick was willing to risk one of his subjects lives for it? At least that question had an easy answer. Varian didn’t know much about the king, but he did know that Fredrick was willing to stop at nothing to get what he wanted.  
It was how the queen had gotten killed.  
It was the reason that Rapunzel was locked in the most secure room in the castle, the same place that she had been in for nearly a year. All because they dared to oppose the king to protect Corona. Now the kingdom was at war because of him. Was Fredrick hoping that this scroll would help him win it? But the question Varian wanted an answer for more than any other question was why. Why had Fredrick sent him, of all people? Why did he trust someone he had only met a few times to find this scroll? Why did he want the scroll so much?  
And then he remembered.  
The Demanitus scroll had four incantations on it that could be used by the welder of the sundrop and the moonstone.  
Rapunzel was only alive because of the sundrop, and she had magic because of it.  
Fredrick wanted the scroll so he could use Rapunzel as a weapon.


	3. The Maze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost 1 am and I just finished this, so sorry if it's kinda not good. I'm really tired, but I wanted to get this done. Anyways, enjoy!

When Hugo woke up, it was barely past dawn. The sun was just past the horizon, so he stayed in bed for a while, thinking. He figured that Varian would still be asleep for another hour or two, so he had some time to himself. When he got up and got dressed, Ruddiger followed him out of the caravan.   
The raccoon, however, paused as Hugo got to the edge of the small clearing they were staying in.  
“Relax. I’m just going to get firewood.” Ruddiger looked at him skeptically before climbing up the man and settling on his shoulders. Hugo blinked in surprise and kept walking.   
He picked up some twigs for kindling before scooping up a few bigger branches that had fallen off the trees around him. When he turned around, he nearly ran into someone.  
“Shit, Cyrus. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” The man stayed silent for a moment, staring at Ruddiger. The raccoon’s fur was standing on end, and he was snarling at him.   
“Don wants an update. I’m assuming the creature is his.” Hugo sighed. Of course Donella would want a report the day after he started working with Varian.   
“Yeah, he is. Tell Don that I think he’s starting to trust me. There's not much to report.” Cyrus nodded, disappearing into the trees as silently as he came. Ruddiger seemed to relax a little; his fur was no longer on end, but Hugo could feel how tense he still was.   
After he got a small fire started, he went to the food storage that was built into the caravan and pulled out a few eggs and a pan. Varian walked out of the caravan as the eggs were cooking.  
“Hey.”  
“Hey.”  
“What are you making?”  
“Eggs.”  
“Ah.” Varian went back into the caravan for a moment, returning with plates, forks, and an apple for Ruddiger.   
They ate in a slightly awkward silence. When they were done, Varian took the plates, making a mental note to wash them in the nearby river before they started moving again.   
“So, if you don’t mind me asking, what's your trial?” Varian looked up at the blonde, before getting up.  
“I’ll be right back.” He went into the caravan and returned a moment later with a piece of paper. He sat down next to Hugo and unrolled it.  
“So, my trial is a bit weird. There are three parts to it, instead of one.” He pointed to one of the three x’s scratched onto the map. “This is where we need to go first. Apparently, it’s where a piece of the Demanitus scroll is.”  
“The Demanitus scroll? I thought it was lost thousands of years ago.” Hugo furrowed his brow, now realizing why Donella refused to tell him anything about Varian’s mission, despite the fact that she knew everything about it.  
“So did I. King Fredrick told me that it was just hidden, though. For all we know, this is a wild goose chase.”  
“An extremely dangerous wild goose chase.” Hugo pointed to the second x along their marked path. “We have to go through Kresten Loch.”  
“Yeah. Honestly, I’m pretty nervous about that.”  
“Not a fan of snow?”  
“That, and I don’t want to freeze to death. Hypothermia has got to be one of the worst ways to go.”  
“Ya know, I wasn’t really planning on having a conversation about death this morning.” Varian looked sheepish, but shrugged.  
“Neither was I.” Varian rolled up the map before looking around. “Would you mind making sure everything is packed up? I’m going to go wash the plates.”  
“Sure.” Varian started walking but paused when he realized Ruddiger wasn’t following him. He turned around, but the raccoon was laying on the bench of the caravan. He watched as Hugo pet him as he passed by, the animal leaning into his touch. A small smile crept onto his face as he turned back around.   
When Varian got back, he packed everything up and made sure none of his chemicals would be able to spill off his desk. He joined Hugo on the bench before unrolling the map.  
“So, I’d say we’ve got about two months until we get to the first piece. Maybe a little longer.” Hugo looked at the map over his shoulder.   
“It looks like a maze.”  
“I think it is.”  
“Alright. That’ll be fun. Hopefully, it’s not a deadly maze.”  
———  
Varian and Hugo had bonded a surprising amount over the past nine weeks. Maybe it was because Varian had to save the blonde from accidentally falling off a cliff, or because Hugo had to help get Varian’s money back after it was stolen in the market once. Or maybe it was the fact that they spent most of every day together.  
Whatever the reason, Varian felt more free and more himself with the blonde than he had ever felt in Corona. Hugo was sarcastic, and witty, and sometimes insurable, and yet, Varian felt drawn to him. It wasn’t anything he could put his finger on, but it was the reason he was laying on the ground well past midnight, looking up at the stars. Ruddiger had curled up as close as he could, and Varian pet him as he thought. The man sighed, looking at how far the moon had crept towards the horizon since he had gotten up.   
“What do you think, bud? How do you feel about Hugo?”   
He didn’t get a response.   
“I made the right choice, right? Letting him join us?” This time, he felt a tiny paw on his cheek. When he turned his head, Ruddiger's face was only inches from his. The raccoon chittered, then got up and plopped on top of Varian. The man chuckled before scooping him up. They crept back into the caravan, and Varian got back into bed. He listened to the soft breathing from the bunk above his and let it lull him to sleep.  
———  
“Varian, wake up!” He felt someone shaking him, and was pulled out of a deep sleep. Hugo was leaning over him, but stepped back once he saw Varian’s eyes open.   
“What? Did something happen? Is everything ok?” Varian shot up.   
“No, no, everything’s fine. But we’re here. We’re at the maze.”


	4. The First Trial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some danger sprinkled with a little bit of gayness. This chapter is a little weird because I wrote it over three nights instead of one, like I usually do. So if the pacing is atrocious, that's why.  
> Also yes, this is the maze in Lost and Found. All of the riddles are from that episode. Enjoy!

Hugo and Varian stood at the beginning of the maze, looking at the looming entrance.   
“You ready to enter the Path of Demanitus?” Hugo asked, leaning over a slab of stone with the words etched into it.  
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” They walked through the entrance together and stood at the top of a long set of stairs. The maze stretched so far ahead of them that it disappeared into a thick fog. It was covered in vines and moss, the bricks cracked and chipped. They walked down the steps and an eerie silence surrounded them, almost as if it was in the fog.   
“Yeesh. This place is creepy.”   
“Oh, wow. I hadn’t noticed.” Hugo looked down at the raven-haired man, who looked very tense. Ruddiger was perched on his shoulders, fur standing on end. They continued walking, but hit a dead end after a few minutes. Words were carved on the stone, which Hugo read aloud.  
“‘I am a room with no doors and no windows, no way in and no way out. What am I?’”  
“A mushroom. Duh.” Just then, spiders started crawling out of the bricks. Their legs were white, but their bodies looked like eyeballs. One landed on Hugo’s shoulder, and he flicked it off, looking around frantically for a mushroom.  
“These are Ivory spiders! They’re extremely venomous, don’t let them bite you!”  
“Noted!” Varian stepped on another spider, then kicked a few away. Hugo finally found a mushroom, shrieking as a spider dropped onto his face. He shook his head, sending it flying. He pulled up on the mushroom and pushed the lever that was revealed. He and Varian ran through, the door slamming shut behind them. Varian leaned against the wall, panting slightly.   
“Remind me again why Fredrick would send one of his citizens to a place that could get them killed.”  
“Three places.”  
“You’re not helping his case.”  
“I know.” Varian stood up straight before continuing. “He only cares about himself. Whatever can get him money and power is what he wants. Corona’s been at war for years now, and he’s never made an effort to help his troops. I think the scroll leads to some form of weapon.” Hugo stood in shock for a moment.   
“Wait, so why are you still doing the trials?”   
“I don’t have a choice. If I don’t go back, I’d be abandoning my friends and family. They’d think I was dead. If I go back empty-handed, I’d get killed.”  
“Can you not leave Corona after your trial?”  
“Nope. If I do, I’ll be banished.”  
“Jeez. No wonder people hate the kingdom Corona’s become.”  
“Yeah. At least there are people who remember what it was like before this. I just hope there’s going to be an after.”   
“I hope so, too.” Varian gave the blonde a small smile.   
“Come on. We should keep going.”  
They decided to take the path to their left. After a few minutes of walking, they came to a fork in the path. In front of them, there was a fountain. Behind that, there was a huge statue of a monkey-like creature. There were words carved into the fountain, which Varian read aloud.   
“‘If thou wish to skirt a deadly stress, donate a coin and earn safe egress.’”  
“Demanitus loved his riddles, didn’t he?”  
“It just means we have to toss a coin into the fountain.”   
“That’s a bit of a waste, isn’t it?” Varian tossed a coin into the fountain before turning to Hugo.  
“We’ve already almost died once. I wouldn’t risk it.”  
“Yeah, but I saved us.” Varian shook his head, laughing.  
“You’re an idiot.”   
“I know,” Hugo said with a grin. Varian turned around, looking at their possible paths, before heading to the right. Unbeknownst to him, Hugo didn’t put a coin in the fountain. And, unseen by both men, the statue was not pleased. It’s eyes glowed red, and whipped it’s head around to snarl silently at the men.  
———  
After a few more hours and many, many more riddles, they were finally at the center of the maze. From where they stood, a bridge of green crystals stretched across a gaping chasm with bubbling acid at the bottom. At the end of the bridge was a stone pillar with a small locked box on it, containing the second piece of the scroll.   
“‘Before thou claim thy glory, have faith the crystal bridge shall lead to thy quarry. Use the key to unlock, after thy faithful walk.’ Ya know, that’s not his best work.”  
“Yeah, well, it’ll have to work. Do you want to cross, or will I?” Varian asked.  
“Are you kidding? I’m not touching that thing.” Varian sighed.  
“Yeah, you’d end up falling in with that attitude anyways.” Varian took the small key that was hanging off the sign and walked to the edge of the bridge. He took a deep breath and stepped onto it. It cracked, ever so slightly. Taking another deep breath, he continued walking and tried not to look down. By the time he reached the pillar, the long bridge was riddled with long, thin cracks. With shaking hands, he unlocked the box and took the scroll piece out with a small laugh. He turned around, waving it at Hugo. The blonde looked anxious, but gave him a thumbs up.  
“Great! Now just get back here.” Varian looked down at the bridge, realizing that it was about to crumble.   
He started running. He could hear the bridge falling behind him, but didn’t look back. Just as he was about to get back onto land, he felt the bridge fall from under his feet. He screamed, reaching for Hugo. The blonde dropped to his knees, grabbing Varian’s hand. Varian found a foothold, but he knew it would’t last.   
“Hugo, take the scroll. If-“  
“Fuck, no! I’m not taking the scroll over you!”  
“Hugo, please.” Varian could see the tears building up in the other man’s eyes as his panic level rose.   
“No!” He was pulling as hard as he could, but it wasn’t enough. Varian was slipping. “Is there any way you can pull yourself up?” Varian shoved the scroll piece in his pocket, reaching for the rope he knew was attached to his bag. He grabbed it and tossed it up to Hugo, who caught it with one hand, still clinging to Varian with the other. Varian grabbed the rope, wrapping it around his wrist.  
“I think I can climb up. Just don’t let go of the rope.” Hugo nodded and let go of Varian’s hand, the tears now falling. Varian’s hand found a small ledge and he managed to pull himself up. Once his hands reached solid ground, Hugo helped pull him up, pulling him into a tight hug. Varian hugged him back just as tightly, his panic subsiding. Although, he could feel tears stinging the backs of his eyes.  
“I thought I was going to lose you,” Hugo whispered.   
“But you didn’t. I’m ok. ” Hugo’s sobs tore at his heart as he spoke. “You saved me. Thank you.” Hugo didn’t say anything, just pulled him closer. Varian started crying as the reality of the situation started to sink in. They stayed like that for a few minutes, crying and holding onto each other, neither one wanting to let go.  
“Do you hear that?”  
“Hear what?”  
“It just…It sounded like rumbling,” Varian said. They both fell silent for a moment, listening.  
“Yeah. It sounds like it’s getting closer.”   
“Because it is.” Varian was looking at something over Hugo’s shoulder. When the blonde turned to look, he felt his blood run cold.   
It was the stone statue that thad been sitting behind the fountain.   
“You didn’t put a coin in, did you?” Varian scrambled to his feet as he spoke, searching for something in his bag that could help them.  
“I didn’t think anything would happen!” The statue brought it’s fist down in an attempt to smash Varian, but he scrambled out of the way and started running. He threw a goo bomb at it, but the statue didn’t seem affected. It ripped it’s foot from where it had been stuck to the ground and kept chasing Varian.   
“HEY! Monkey thing! Over here!” The statue turned it’s head and narrowed it’s eyes before turning and running after the blonde. “Oh shit,” Hugo muttered. He started running before turning to his left. He heard a smashing sound, and Varian was by his side in seconds.  
“In here!” Varian ushered the other man into a doorway, pulling the chain beside it to close it. The statue started ramming into the stone, but the men knew they were safe, even if was only for a few minutes.   
“Didn’t think anything would happen, huh?” Varian panted.  
“How was I supposed to know that the statue was magic?”  
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe pay attention to the fucking warning next time!” A small hole forming in the door interrupted them, and Varian froze.  
“Wait, what if we use your ice bombs? Once it breaks through the door, we run under it and throw them behind us. It should slip into the wall and break.”  
“If I die today, I’m blaming you.”  
“What, do you have a better idea?”  
“Nope. That’s why I’m blaming you.” Another chunk of the door fell, the statue still ramming into it.  
“Noted.” The bottom of the door broke away, and Hugo took the ice bombs Varian held out to him. He took the younger man’s hand and started running. Varian followed suit, although a tiny bit slower. They ducked between the statue’s legs, confusing it for a moment. They threw the bombs and didn’t look back until they heard a huge crash. When they turned around, one of the walls was broken. One of the statue’s limbs was sticking out of the rubble, still as could be. Hugo let out a laugh of joy, glad that the fight was over.   
“Well, looks like I owe you.”  
“Yeah. We need to start keeping track of who saved who from what.” Varian laughed, pulling the blonde into a quick hug.  
“Sounds like a good Idea. We’ve just got to get out of here first.”   
———  
The men got out of the maze a shortly past sunset. After they ate, they stayed by the small fire Hugo had made, sitting side by side and watching the flames.   
“Thank you,” Varian whispered. He scooted a little closer to the blonde and rested his head on his shoulder. “For everything.”  
“Of course.” Hugo wrapped his arm around the other mans shoulders, and Ruddiger hopped up from the caravan bench, settling on Hugo’s lap. They stayed like that until the fire died. After they went to bed, Varian realized something.   
He had a crush on Hugo.


	5. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updating so often feels weird, but whatever. I've loved writing this so far. Now please, accept some angst and more gayness. Just expect a lot of gayness from now on.  
> Also, sorry this chapter is so short. The next one will definitely be longer.

One month later, Hugo and Varian were on the edge of Kresten Loch, looking at the map.  
“Are you absolutely sure we have to go in there?”  
“As I’ve said a thousand times, yes. I would just make a hot air balloon to get us across, but we don’t have the materials.” Varian sounded anxious, and rightfully so. “It’ll take us a few days to get to the center on foot.”  
“Are we not bringing the caravan?”  
“I don’t know yet. I don’t want to risk Duke freezing to death, but one of us would have to stay if we left him. That makes whoever goes in less likely to be able to protect themself, plus the other would have no way of knowing if they were dead or not.”  
“That’s a lot of cons. If we keep his blanket on him and give him a thicker one at night, he should be fine.” Varian nodded.  
“Yeah. Yeah, ok, that’s what we’ll do.”  
Ruddiger curled up between them that night, trying and failing to stay warm despite the freezing temperatures. They went to bed early, mostly just to get someplace warm.  
———  
Varian was back in his lab. A huge tarp was covering something and a shiver went down his spine, already knowing what was under it. His body moved against the command of his mind, pulling the huge piece of cloth off to reveal his father. He was trapped in the amber, but he wasn’t holding a letter this time. No, he was facing Varian, a small frown on his face. His voice surrounded Varian, coming from everywhere.  
“How could you do this to me, Varian? You don’t deserve to be my son. You’re evil. You always will be.”  
“No, no! I didn’t mean for this to happen, it was an accident! Dad, I’m sorry!” Varian could feel tears welling up in his eyes, and he made no move to stop them. “I freed you! I- I never meant to hurt you.”  
His lab disappeared, being replaced by a battlefield. Automatons limbs were scattered all over the place, half a dozen more fighting the royal guards, Cass, and Eugene. In front of him, Rapunzel lay dead, killed by his own hands.  
“No. No, no, NO! I didn’t want to do this! I didn’t have a choice!”  
“Yes, you did.” His fathers voice was back, but it was joined by Cass’s, Eugene’s, and Rapunzel’s. “This is your fault. You made this happen. You killed me.” The last sentence was spoken by Rapunzel, and the ground started crumbling away, as if reality was shattering. “You’re the reason Quirin is dead. All of this is your fault, Varian.” A tiny island was left where he was standing, but that soon crumpled away as well. He was falling into a dark void, voices echoing around him.  
“Varian. Varian. VARIAN!” He awoke with a small gasp and shot up. His eyes darted around and he was clawing at his chest, trying to breathe with his constricted lungs. Tears were streaming down his face, leaving his eyes red and puffy.  
“Whoa. Hey, it’s alright. Deep breaths, ok? Just breathe.” Hugo was sitting beside him beside him, trying to help calm him down. Varian was still breathing heavily and holding himself. Sobs wracked his body, making calming down a little bit harder.  
“Deep breaths. In through your nose, out through your mouth. That’s it. Breathe.” Varian felt the blonde place his hand on his back hesitantly before starting to rub circles onto it. “Deep breaths.”  
After a few minutes, Varian was a bit calmer. He was able to breathe better, and he wasn’t crying as hard. He pulled Hugo into a hug, crying into his shoulder until he was all out of tears.  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”  
“It’s alright.” A moment of silence, then the question Varian had been dreading. “Do you want to talk about it?”  
“I don’t- I don’t know if I’m ready yet. Sorry.”  
“Varian, it’s ok. You don’t need to keep apologizing.” He pulled Hugo a little closer, starting to cry again.  
“It’s just- I don’t- snow brings back a lot of really, really bad memories. I don’t want to do this. I don’t think I can do this.”  
“Hey, no. Don’t say that. You’re the bravest person I know. If anyone can do this, it’s you.”  
“I’m scared, Hugo,” Varian whispered. Hugo pulled him as close as he could, thinking that maybe if they were close enough, he could protect the other man from the world.  
“I know. I am too. It’ll be alright though. I’m here for you. You’re not alone.”  
“Thank you," Varian sniffled.  
“Of course.”  
“Could- could you stay with me?”  
“Yeah.” Varian scooted closer to the wall, making room for the blonde in the tiny bed. Hugo got under the covers, then wrapped his arms around Varian as he laid his head on his shoulder.  
“Good night.”  
“Good night, Hairstripe.”  
Despite the fact that the wind was howling outside, they were warm as they fell asleep in each other’s arms.


	6. Into the Frozen Sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe more gay shit. This was supposed to be a slow burn fic, but whatever. I just want to write fluff. Also, please excuse the atrocious pacing.  
> The notes at the end contain spoilers, so don't read them until after the chapter. Enjoy!

Varian was woken up by a shuffling at his side as Hugo attempted to pull himself away from the other man, ultimately failing.   
“Hey.” Hugo looked up, meeting Varian’s eyes.   
“Hey. Sorry for waking you up.”  
“It’s alright.” Varian sat up as Hugo stood, watching him go behind a curtain they had put up so he could get dressed. “Thanks for staying with me.”   
“You’re welcome.” Hugo walked out from behind the curtain, tying his hair up into its usual ponytail. “Come on. We should get going.”   
After a few minutes, the two were huddled together on the bench of the caravan, at the very edge of Kresten Loch.  
“You ready?”  
“Not in any way.”  
“Me neither.” Varian urged Duke on, and they entered the frozen sea.  
———  
Kresten Loch wasn’t as cold as they expected it to be, at least not during the day. It wasn’t warm, but they were fine with light coats on. Nighttime, however, was a different story. The two men had to put a few extra blankets over Duke, the horse staying as close to the caravan as possible. It was freezing inside the caravan, as well. As a result, Hugo and Varian were curled up together in Varian’s bunk, talking. Hugo’s arm was around the shorter man’s shoulders, Varian’s head resting on his shoulder. Ruddiger was on Varian’s lap, hiding under the blanket.   
“You know, Hairstripe, the last few months have been pretty fun.”  
“Yeah. Yeah, they have.”  
“How different has this been compared to Corona?”  
“As different as any two experiences can be.” Hugo moved his head so he was looking at the other man.  
“In a good way or a bad way?”   
“In the best way possible.” Varian turned to look at Hugo, a light blush on his cheeks. He was met with beautiful green eyes and a smile. A small, genuine, adorable smile was on the blonde’s face. Varian could feel his cheeks heating up, and he looked away.  
“We should- we should probably go to bed soon. Long day tomorrow and all.”  
“Oh. Yeah, ok.” Hugo got up, moving to his own bunk, and Varian found himself wishing he had stayed. It was cold, and Hugo was a good heater. Absolutely no other reason. He did not want to cuddle with the blonde, thank you very much. Ruddiger squirmed under his arm as soon as he was adjusted. Varian sighed, staring at the bunk above his, and he knew it would be a long night.  
———  
Varian awoke to a bright, almost blinding light shining into his eyes. The sun was up, streaming into the window through the cracks in the curtain. He rolled over and sat up, rubbing his eyes to get the sleep to leave them. Hugo emerged from behind their curtain, already dressed and ready for the day.   
“Mornin’, Goggles.”  
“Good morning.”   
After Varian got dressed and they ate, the two men were sitting on the caravan bench, continuing towards the center of Kresten Loch. Varian was studying the map, and Hugo was holding Duke’s reigns.   
“The last piece is about three months away once we get out of this place. We should reach where we need to be sometime tomorrow.”  
“Got it. Please tell me that there isn’t an acid lake we have to get through this time.”  
“Nope. The next trial looks pretty easy, too. It looks like the piece is just hidden in a cave.” Hugo felt his heart drop; the next trial would be anything but easy, but he couldn’t let Varian know that.   
“Whoever hid the scroll pieces needed to do a better job. I mean seriously, a maze, a frozen wasteland, and a cave? Their hiding skills just keep getting worse.”   
“Yeah, it's not like the maze almost killed us or anything. And the frozen tundra totally hasn’t had dozens of people disappear into it.”  
“Exactly! What’s next, the cave has a few booby traps? Piece of cake.” A grin worked it's way onto Hugo’s face as he watched Varian laugh.  
“I might actually get back to Corona alive. Fredrick is doing a pretty bad job of completing his goal.”  
“Wouldn’t you have already died if it weren’t for me?”  
“Yeah, but I didn’t.”  
“You also didn’t thank me.” Varian looked at the other man, noting that nothing suggested he was serious.  
“Thanks for not letting me dissolve in a pit of acid,” he joked. Hugo barked a laugh.  
“I was joking!”  
“I know. Seriously though, thank you. You helping me with everything really means a lot.”   
“You’re welcome.” He felt Varian place his head on his shoulder, snuggling a little closer.   
‘It’s not because he likes you back. He’s just cold. It’s cold here,’ Hugo thought to himself.   
A few hours later, Hugo heard Varian snoring softly. He looked down at the man and smiled, giving into the temptation to press a soft kiss to the top of his head. Varian grumbled a little and readjusted, ending up closer Hugo. The blonde froze for a moment before slowly wrapping an arm around him. He looked back up, realizing that the sun would be setting soon and he had to find somewhere to stay for the night.   
———  
Varian wasn’t actually asleep, at least not anymore. He just knew how to fake it. After waking up and realizing he was cuddling with Hugo, he didn’t dare move an inch. They had never talked about the bond forming between them, but Varian knew it was there. He had only realized a few days ago, as he fell asleep with Hugo next to him after his nightmare. It could be wishful thinking, but he doubted that, especially after he felt Hugo press a kiss to the top of his head a few minutes after he woke up. It was nice to know that his crush was reciprocated, although he doubted anything would come of it. After all, good thing never lasted, at least not for him.   
———  
After Hugo woke up Varian (or so he thought), they found a spot at the base of a frozen wave to stay under. The ice stretched far above their heads, covering them and Duke from any snow that might come in the night. Ruddiger jumped up from where he had been burrowed in Varian’s bed once he saw the two men come inside. Varian greeted his pet as he hopped up onto his shoulders like a living scarf. The caravan was a little warmer than it had been the night before, but Varian and Hugo still ended up in the same bed, talking and laughing like the night before. Except this time, Hugo didn’t leave. This time, Varian asked him to stay, making up some excuse about how Hugo was practically a heater. Hugo saw through it easily, but he didn’t mind. After all, they only had three months left until they reached the cave. Three months for Hugo to figure out his feelings. Three months to figure out where his loyalties lie. With Donella, the woman who raised him, or with Varian, the man who had made him feel alive again.   
———  
“You asked to see me, Your Majesty?” Quirin was in the throne room of Corona’s castle, kneeling in front of King Fredrick.  
“Yes, something has happened recently that may be of concern to you. Do you recall how your son joined the Saporeans for a few months, betraying them once he realized how to free you?”  
“Yes.”   
“Did he ever tell you that they tried to kill him? That they told him he would pay for leaving them with his life?” A chill ran down Quirin’s spine, dreading the next words out of the king’s mouth.  
“Yes.”  
“They escaped. We haven’t managed to track them down yet, but we have reason to believe that they are going after Varian.” Quirin raised his head, staring at the king. His face was sympathetic, but there was a gleam of something completely different in his eyes. Pride.   
Fredrick had set the Saporeans free. He was trying to kill Varian.   
Just like that, Quirin’s whole world started crumbling as he realized he would never see his son again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Saporeans are here! Get ready for some more angst.


	7. The Frozen Trial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so short. I've had a lot of short chapters in this fic. I thought it would be nice to celebrate the new year with another chapter, so I didn't have long to write it. Anyways, enjoy!

They reached the center of Kresten Loch the next afternoon.   
“This is it.” They stopped at the mouth of a cave made of ice, stretching deep below the earth. Varian grabbed his staff and shook it, the chemicals in the vials tied to the end starting to glow.   
“You ready?” He asked, turning to Hugo. The blonde took a deep breath.  
“Yeah. Let’s go.” He took Varian’s hand and they started walking.   
After about ten minutes, the small tunnel opened up into a huge cavern, the scroll sitting on a pedestal in the center. This time, however, there was a moat around it. The water was somehow not ice, ripples covering the surface. A small bridge stretched from their side of the moat to the pedestal.   
“Looks like you’re up. I crossed the last bridge, you get to cross this one.”  
“I’m not touching that thing until we figure out what’s in the water.” Varian rolled his eyes and let go of Hugo’s hand, stepping forward. At the edge of the moat he looked down. The water was clear and he could see all the way to the bottom of it. There was nothing there. He raised his staff and squinted, trying to see if whatever was causing the ripples was on the other side. A scaly head rose out of the water, locking eyes with the raven-haired man. It looked like an enormous blue snake with horns.   
“A sea serpent,” Hugo breathed. The serpent turned to look him, and Hugo joined Varian by the edge of the moat. A voice echoed throughout the cavern, seeming to come from everywhere at once.   
“I have been waiting for over 1,000 years for someone to come take the scroll. Demanitus placed me here as a baby, telling me that my life purpose was to protect it. I never thought anyone would make it through Kresten Loch alive. I admire your bravery, but now you have three options. Turn back now and leave unscathed, kill me, or die. Which will it be?” Varian and Hugo exchanged a glance.   
“We’ve come this far. We’re not leaving without the scroll,” Hugo told the serpent.  
“Very well.” It lunged at the the blonde, jaws open wide. Hugo jumped back as Varian tossed a goo bomb at the creature. It exploded over its face, blinding it. The serpent screeched, ducking its head underwater in an attempt to wash the goop off. When it didn’t work, the serpent emerged, blinded and enraged, trying to find Varian.   
“You grab the scroll. I’ll distract it,” Varian whispered to Hugo.   
“Are you crazy? That thing could kill me!” Hugo whisper-shouted.   
“I won’t let it.” He looked up at the blonde, who nodded anxiously.  
“If I die, I’m coming back to haunt you forever.”   
“Noted. Now go!” Hugo snuck up to the bridge, watching Varian.  
“Hey! Over here!” The serpent whipped its head in the direction of Varian’s voice, the front half of it attempting to slither across the ice floor to get closer to him. Varian threw another goo bomb at it, sticking it to the floor.   
“Goggles! Come on!” Hugo stood at the entrance of the cave, holding the scroll peice. Varian ran over to him, grinning.  
“Good job.”  
“Thanks.” The serpent screeched again as the men left the room and started running back up through the tunnel. Varian threw himself into Hugo’s arms as soon as they got out of the tunnel, laughing slightly.   
“You got it. We only have one trial left.”  
“We got it,” Hugo responded, pulling Varian close. They stayed like that for a moment, then it started snowing lightly. Varian pulled away, slipping his hand into Hugo’s.  
“We should get pack to the caravan.” Hugo nodded and started walking, leading the way.   
When they got back to the caravan, Ruddiger jumped onto Varian’s shoulders, chittering as he felt the chill of the snow.  
“I know, bud. It’s cold outside.” Varian and Hugo were both shivering, and got into Varian’s bed together after they both got changed. For the third night in a row, Varian fell asleep in Hugo’s arms, and he finally knew who he was staying with after the third trial. He waited until he heard Varian snoring softly to place a soft kiss to the top of his head. If Varian could forgive him after the third trial, he was staying with him.   
———  
It took them two weeks to get out of Kresten Loch. A blizzard hit the night after they did their trial, and Varian was very glad that the wave they were under blocked out most of the snow. It snowed for two days straight, the men staying in the caravan most of the time. Hugo was there to help Varian with his panic attacks and nightmares, which got worse during the storm. After each one, Hugo would ask if he wanted to talk about it. And after each one, Varian said no, not yet. The ten days after the storm were spent waiting for the snow to melt. After the tenth day, enough was melted for an easy way out. It only took two days to leave Kresten Loch, which Hugo could tell Varian was happy about. The first night after they were out, they were sitting by a fire that Varian had made. He was looking at the scroll pieces, which he had pieced together. There were three of them, as Fredrick had given him one with the map.   
“Hugo, do you recognize this language?” The blonde looked over Varian’s shoulder, looking at the pieces with him.  
“Can’t say I do, Hairstripe.” Varian sighed.   
“I should probably figure out how to translate this soon. Fredrick will make me do it anyways.”   
“Speaking of Fredrick, what do you think will happen when we get back to Corona?”  
“Well, I think he’ll punish me for letting you help. I’m not sure what’ll happen to you, though.” Hugo sighed and scooted away from Varian the tiniest bit, ignoring the voice in his head telling him to scoop Varian into a hug.   
“Is that worth it? I mean, you’d be delivering a weapon to the king, getting punished for it, then you never get to leave Corona.”  
“I know. I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. If I went back, we’d never see each other again. Sure, I’d be with my family, but I’d be trapped. That’s not something I want.” He paused for a moment, thinking. “I just don’t know where I’d go.”  
“Just know that whatever you decide, I’ll support you.” Varian looked up, giving the blonde a smile.  
“Thank you.”   
“You’re welcome.” Varian pulled the blonde into a tight hug, and Hugo hugged him back just as tightly.  
“Well, well, well. Isn’t this sweet?” Varian tensed, pulling away from Hugo. A man stood a few feet away from them, a few other people behind him.   
“You didn’t seriously think we’d let you live after you betrayed us, did you? After all, traitors to Saporea pay with their lives.”


	8. The Saporeans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for blood and torture. I'll leave a summary in the notes at the end, but please only read past the first divide if those are triggering subjects for you.  
> Also, little varigo headcanon: Varian flirts very badly when he's tired. It'll make sense at the end.  
> Please excuse any typos or mistakes. It's 2:30 am as I post this and I'm very tired.

Hugo grunted as he was thrown into a small cell. The Saporeans had taken them to a small hideout in the hills beyond Kresten Loch. They were in the basement, where a small cell had been constructed in one of the corners. Varian was being chained to the wall by Andrew.  
“You know, kid, you had some serious potential. If only you hadn’t thrown all that away.”  
“I didn’t throw away anything. I was helping myself.” That earned him a punch to the mouth. Varian’s head snapped sideways with the force of it, and Hugo gripped the bars of his cell.  
“You know, since we’re going to kill you anyways, we might as well have some fun with it.” He snapped his fingers, and the two Saporeans accompanying him stepped forward. “Do what you will with him. I get to kill him, though.” Varian looked terrified, starting to pull on his restraints. Andrew moved to lean against the bars of Hugo’s cell, grinning.  
“This’ll be fun,” He said.  
“You’re a sick bastard and I fucking hate you,” Hugo responded. Andrew’s grin got wider as he watched the scene before them. Varian’s nose was bleeding and there was another wound on his forehead. From what, Hugo didn’t know. He could tears welled up in Varian’s eyes, but he was trying not to cry.  
“Aww, come on. You haven’t even known me for a day. I’m sure you’ll warm up to us.”  
“No. No I won’t.” One of the Saporeans had pulled out a knife and was dragging it across Varian’s arm as he screamed out in pain. The tears were falling now, leaving streaks in the blood on his face. Hugo felt sick just looking at him; he couldn’t imagine how twisted someone had to be to do that to another human. He glanced at Andrew, who was still grinning. Looking down, he noticed that the man had a small knife strapped to his leg. Hugo looked at the other two Saporeans, who were still torturing Varian. A sudden surge of anger filled him, and he pulled out his lockpick. After quietly unlocking his cell door, he snuck Andrew’s knife from its sheath. Quickly, he stuck his arm through the bars of his cell and held the knife to Andrew’s neck.  
“Tell them to let him go, or I’ll kill you.  
“You wouldn’t.”  
“Try me.” Andrew rolled his eyes, and Hugo pressed the blade against his neck a little harder.  
“Stop. Unlock him.” The Saporeans looked back at him, surprised. Varian looked up, then laughed quietly when he saw what was happening. After Varian was unlocked, Hugo drug the knife across Andrew’s neck. The man made a noise like he was being strangled and clutched at his throat. One of the other Saporeans held his knife out, preparing to defend himself against Hugo.  
“Oh, relax. I’m not going to hurt you. Not unless you touch Varian again.” He walked over to the raven-haired man and gently looped an arm around his waist to support him. Varian leaned into him, wrapping an arm around his neck. By the time they got out of the building, Varian was leaning against the blonde so much that he could barely walk properly.  
“Hey. Varian.” The other man looked up at him with glossed over eyes. Fear took over Hugo’s mind, thinking that Varian would die. He shook off the thoughts, he couldn’t let them become a reality. “I need you to get on my back. I’m going to carry you back to the caravan.” Varian nodded.  
After a few minutes, Hugo was walking back to the caravan. The Saporeans had brought it with them, presumably so they could use it later on. It took him a while to get back, but once he got and inside, Ruddiger looked up from where he was laying on Varian’s bed.“Move.” The raccoon hopped off the bed, watching curiously as Hugo set Varian onto it and started moving around. He got their first-aid kit and went back to Varian, who had passed out while they were walking back to the caravan. After cleaning his wounds, Hugo realized that one of the cuts on his arm needed stitches. Great. He threaded the needle with shaking hands, panicking slightly. He knew that he couldn’t mess this up.  
After that was done, he cleaned the wound again and bandaged it up, making sure that everything else had a bandage on it, too.  
He couldn’t sleep that night. He was too scared that something would happen to Varian. So he stayed up, sitting on the ground next to Varian’s bed. He pulled one of the other man’s arms around him and held onto his hand. Ruddiger climbed onto his lap, curling up and falling asleep there. Hugo sighed. He looked up at Varian, wishing that he would be ok.  
———  
When Varian woke up, the first thing he noticed was how sore he was. The second thing he noticed was Hugo. He opened his eyes and looked over, realizing that they were holding hands. Hugo had drug a chair over to his bed, and Ruddiger was curled up on his lap, chittering quietly. Varian gave Hugo’s hand a light squeeze and watched as the blonde looked up, tears in his eyes.  
“Varian,” He sniffled. “How are you feeling?”  
“Sore, but otherwise ok. You?” Hugo looked away, wiping the tears from his eyes.  
“Worried. I was worried about you. I couldn’t really sleep last night.” He met Varian’s eyes for a moment before looking away. “I was scared that you might- might die. I couldn’t- I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out of there sooner.” He started crying, and Varian cupped his face, wiping his tears away.  
“Hey, it’s alright. You did what you could. You got me out of there alive.”  
“But they hurt you. They tried to kill you. They- I- I killed one of them.” He whispered the last sentence in a disbelieving way, almost as if he hadn’t quite understood that before.  
“That’s fine. Andrew was a bitch anyways.” Hugo let out a wet laugh.  
“Yeah. I guess he had it coming.” Varian squeezed Hugo’s hand again before letting it go. He scooted closer to the wall, bringing the blanket back for Hugo.  
“Come on. You look like you could use a hug.” Hugo smiled at him before ducking into bed with him. He wrapped his arms around Varian’s waist loosely, other man wrapping his arms around his neck. One of Varian’s hands laced loosely into his hair, playing with a lock of it.  
“You know, if someone told me a year ago that my trial would involve all that we’ve gone through, I would’ve laughed. Now… now, I’m not so sure we’re even going to make it out of this alive.” Hugo pulled himself closer to Varian, trying to not aggravate any of his wounds.  
“Don’t say that. We’re going to be ok. You’re going to be ok. In a month, all of this will be over. We can do whatever you want.”  
“We?”  
“Yeah. Just because this is ending doesn’t mean that you’re getting rid of me. It’s not that easy.”  
“Right. Silly me. How dare I think I could ever possibly get rid of you.”  
“Damn right. You’re stuck with me until one of us dies.”  
“Probably me.”  
“Oh, defiantly you. I’ve never met someone who’s almost died as many times as you have.”  
“Yeah, neither have I.”  
“I’ve got a new rule for you.”  
“No dying?”  
“Yes.”  
“I’ll do my best.”  
“That’s all I ask.”  
———  
When Hugo woke up, it was dark outside. He and Varian were still wrapped in each other’s arms, and he didn’t want to move. That is, at least, until he remembered he was supposed to meet up with Cyrus at midnight. He carefully extracted himself from Varian, tiptoeing out of the caravan. He closed the door behind him as quietly as he could, then looked around.  
They were about a mile or so away from the Saporean’s hideout. He knew that this was nowhere near where Cyrus expected them to meet.  
“Where the hell have you been?” Hugo turned around, being met by Donella, who was standing with her arms crossed and a stern look on her face.  
“You disappeared for two weeks, didn’t meet up with Cyrus yesterday, and now you’re suddenly miles away from Kresten Loch? Where were you?”  
“I thought the meeting was today.”  
“No! It was yesterday at sundown, idiot. Cyrus thought you were dead.”  
“Well, I’m not. There was a blizzard and we couldn’t leave Kresten Loch. Then Varian and I got taken by this gang called the Saporeans. Apparently Varian betrayed them or something like that. They tried to kill him, but I got us out. I didn’t know anything about it until yesterday, I swear.” Donella looked at him for a moment. She unfolded her arms and tucked them behind her back, sighing.  
“You only have to keep this up for another month. We’re not going to have any more meetings. I just need you to get him to the last trial. We kill him, and we’re rich. Do you understand?”  
“Do we have to kill him? Can’t we just-“  
“Don’t tell me you’ve gotten attached.” Hugo stared at her. She sighed again. “Hugo, that was the one rule. You couldn’t get attached.”  
“I know. I know, but-“  
“If you know, then it shouldn’t have happened. Hugo, whether you like it or not, that man is going to be dead in one month. I can’t have you mess this one up.”  
“Yes, ma’am.” Donella scanned Hugo’s face for a moment.  
“I know you’re sad. I’m sorry. We just can’t pass up this offer.”  
“What offer? It’s just being a glorified assassin. You’re being paid to murder someone.”  
“I knew what taking this job meant. I knew the risks. Now, I’m starting to wonder if you did, too.”  
“I didn’t even want to do this. You know that.”  
“And yet, you changed your mind the second you saw the boy.” Hugo stared at her.  
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
“Don’t I? You saw a pretty boy and blanked, didn’t you?”  
“No. No, I- that’s not what-“  
“Hugo, I know you’re gay. That’s fine. What’s not fine is that you fell for someone you have to kill.”  
“I- what- ok. First of all, I’m not gay. I like girls and guys. Second of all, I don’t have to kill him. You were supposed to do that.”  
“But you still fell for him, correct?”  
“I mean… yeah. Yeah, I guess I did.”  
“Hugo, I know how hard it is to let go of someone you love, but-“  
“But it’s what I have to do.”  
“Yes.” Hugo sighed.  
“Got it.” Hugo walked back to the caravan, pausing right before he started climbing up to his bunk. He looked down at Varian and thought of how he’d feel if we woke up with Hugo missing.  
’This is the last night you’re sleeping with him,’ Hugo thought. He slid into bed next to Varian, who immediately threw an arm around him.  
“You left me,” He said sleepily. Hugo’s heart dropped for a moment. Of course he was awake.  
“I just had to go to the bathroom,” he lied. “I’m back now. Go back to sleep.” Varian hummed lightly as Hugo wrapped his arms around him.  
“Alright. Good night, cutie.” Hugo laughed quietly.  
“Good night, Varian.”  
Hugo didn’t fall back to sleep that night. He was too busy thinking about the man who was sleeping in his arms. He knew that in a month, everything they built together would come crashing down. It would all be gone, and so would Varian.  
Hugo was determined to not let that happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Varian and Hugo get kidnapped by Andrew and co, who torture Varian. Hugo kills Andrew, and gets him and Varian to safety.
> 
> Now for spoilers, so go read the chapter then come back to this.  
> I'm not a huge fan of Hugo and Don's conversation in this. I'm not sure why. It just feels weird to me.


	9. The Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I find it a little funny how I had 14 chapters planned out for this fic, but it ended up being 9 chapters long.

One month later, Hugo and Varian were standing in the mouth of the cave that contained the last trial. Hugo was tense, of course he was. He was going to betray the closest thing he ever had to a mother for someone who might never forgive him. Varian looked up at the blonde, noticing how tense he was and taking his hand.  
“Hugo. Are you ok?”  
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”  
“If… if we get out of this alive, there’s something I need to tell you.” Hugo looked down at the other man, a sad smile on his face.  
“Ok.” He looked away. “We should- we should probably start the trial.” Varian nodded before walking in. Hugo followed.  
The cave was huge. Stalactites jutted down from the top of the cave, and there was a huge square carved out from the cave wall, holding the last piece of the scroll.  
“This is it?” Varian asked, confused. “I just walk across the cave and take it?”  
“Not quite.” Varian and Hugo looked to their left, where Donella was slinking out of the shadows. Donella’s face was unreadable to most, but Hugo could tell she was pleased with herself. She turned to the blonde.  
“Good job, Hugo. After our conversation, I was starting to think you might not let him come here.”  
“Hugo. What’s she talking about?” Before he could respond, Donella was speaking for him.  
“He didn’t tell you? He’s been working for me the whole time. He was a part of the trials.”  
“What? No, I don’t believe you.” Varian pulled his hand from Hugo’s looking at the blonde. “Hugo, tell me it’s not true.”  
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “It- it started out with me working for her, and then I started getting attached to you, and I didn’t- I didn’t want to hurt you. I just didn’t know how to tell you. I’m sorry.”  
“So the mast few months have meant nothing?” Varian sounds heartbroken. Hugo looked up from the ground to look at him, being tears in the other’s eyes.  
“No! No, they’ve meant so much to me. I wanted to tell you, I really did.”  
“Then why didn’t you?”  
“I- I don’t know.” Varian scoffed, looking away.  
“As touching as this is, we’ve got a job to do.” She started walking towards the two, pulling out a knife as she did. “Will it be done the easy way, or the hard way?” Varian looked at the knife, then to Hugo, then back to the knife.  
“I don’t care,” he muttered. “Just make sure my dad gets my body.” He stared Hugo straight in the eye as he said the last sentence, sending chills down the blonde’s spine.  
“Hugo. Would you like to do the honors?”  
“Yeah. Maybe stab me in the back. Finish what you started,” Varian chimed in.  
“What? No, I’m not going to- NO! I’m not doing this.”  
“Suit yourself,” Donella said with a shrug. She thrust the knife into Varian’s belly. He let out a choked sob, closing his eyes.  
“NO!” Before he could stop himself, Hugo grabbed the knife and wrenched it from Donella’s hand, moving to stab her with it. It hit her in the lower chest, and Hugo was vaguely aware of Varian collapsing beside him. Donella let out a small laugh.  
“Fredrick’ll kill you.”  
“I don’t care. I’m not letting you kill Varian.” He pulled out the knife, and Donella fell to the ground.  
———  
Varian groaned when he woke up, the place he got stabbed throbbing slightly. He rolled over, seeing Hugo sitting in a chair, Ruddiger curled up in his lap. It reminded him of when the Saporeans had tried to kill him, barely even a month ago. Hugo looked up, giving Varian a small smile.  
“Hey. How are you feeling?”  
“I got stabbed both physically and emotionally. What do you think?” Hugo flinched slightly, looking guilty.  
“Right. ” He sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. I don’t expect you to forgive me, just please, hear me out.”  
“Fine.”  
“Donella… Donella was the closest thing I ever had to a mother. She took me in off the streets, fed me, and gave me a home. All I had to do in return was help her with jobs. I didn’t think that this would be any different. I didn’t think that I’d get so attached to you so quickly. I didn’t even want to do this, at first. But then I saw you, and… I don’t know. I just- I thought I’d be able to leave her and stay with you without you ever having to know. I… I love you, Varian. I have for months. I knew this was coming, and I was selfish for not telling you. I’m sorry.” Hugo wiped a few tears from his eyes before looking up at a shocked Varian.  
“What?” He asked with a sniffle.  
“I love you too.” Hugo’s mind went blank.  
“You do?”  
“Yeah. You may be annoying at times, but you’re smart, and funny, and sweet, and helpful. You’ve risked so much just to help me. So yeah, of course I love you.” Varian reached out a hand, and Hugo took it, giving it a light squeeze. “Come here.” Varian scooted towards the wall and pulled back the blankets for Hugo. The blonde laid down and wrapped his arms around Varian’s neck. The other put his around Hugo’s waist, pulling him close. Hugo moved his hand to cut Varian’s cheek, a small smile on his face. Varian nuzzled into the touch.  
“Can I kiss you?” Hugo whispered. Varian nodded, already leaning in. Hugo closed his eyes, and when their lips met, it felt like heaven.  
———  
It had been exactly one year since Varian left to do his trial, and seven months since Fredrick told him about the Saporeans.  
Quirin got up early that day to walk out to the fields. Memories of Varian’s childhood came back as he did so, smiling as he remembered how they would sit under trees and read when Varian was little. He loved those days. They’d make sandwiches and he’d walk with the curious child out to wherever he desired. Hours would be spent, reading and talking and eating. Varian was so curious when he was little. He often wandered away from Quirin to check out an interesting plant or bug, earning a scolding from his father when he was found.  
“Varian, I told you that we have to stay together in the capital. You could get hurt on your own.”  
“I wanted to look at the flowers.”  
When Quirin walked back to the house around noon, he was met with a surprise: Varian. He was standing at the door, a blonde man standing behind him, looking nervous.  
“Varian?” He turned around, his face lighting up.  
“Dad!” He ran to his father, and Quirin pulled him into a hug.  
“Fredrick told me about the Saporeans months ago. I thought you were dead,” he said quietly.  
“Dad, I’m fine. Hugo- Hugo save me from them, actually.” Quirin turned to the blonde, reaching out a hand. Hugo took it, and was pulled into the hug.  
———  
It had been two weeks since Varian had gotten back to Corona, and there was a small party to celebrate, as was tradition. Hugo was standing on the balcony attached to the room the party was happening in. He knew that Varian would be mad at him for leaving, but everything was too much.  
Corona was an absolute mess. It was torn apart by the war, led by someone who placed the blame on anybody but himself. It really was a wonder that Varian had actually wanted to come back, but he told Hugo that he wanted to be with his family again. So he followed. He knew that he would follow Varian to the pits of hell and back if he asked.  
Hugo heard the door open behind him, but made no move to see who it was. He was a little surprised to see Quirin leaning against the railing when he looked.  
“I don’t think I ever thanked you for bringing Varian back.”  
“You don’t have to. You’ve done enough for me already.”  
“You brought my son back to me. After his mother died, I promised myself that I would never let anything hurt him. You did that when I wasn’t there to. So thank you.”  
“You’re welcome,” Hugo whispered. He was looking out at the royal gardens, and past that, the sea. He was scared that if he looked at Quirin, he’d break and tell him everything. About how he was supposed to betray Varian, about how he was supposed to sit back and watch someone kill him. So he just didn’t look.  
“You really care about him, don’t you?” Quirin joined him in leaning against the rails, looking out at the sea.  
“Yeah. I do.”  
“I’m glad. You make him happy. I can tell he really cares for you, too.” Hugo smiled.  
“I guess that’s what happens when you spend a year straight with someone. You learn how to love them.”  
“Yes, I suppose that’s true. Although, if you ever hurt him-“  
“Trust me, I won’t.” Quirin paused for a moment before responding.  
“Good.” The door to the balcony opened and someone else stepped outside.  
“There you are! I’ve been looking for you everywhere, Hugo.” The blonde turned around, and Varian was walking towards him. Quirin smiled at him as he passed, going back inside to give the two men space.  
“You left me,” Varian said, pouting.  
“Sorry. You were talking to someone and I didn’t want to interrupt.” Varian hummed, wrapping his arms around Hugo’s neck and leaning into him.  
“If you see me talking to anyone besides my dad or Rapunzel, feel free to interrupt.” Hugo wrapped his arms around Varian’s waist and pulled him closer.  
“Even if it’s Fredrick?”  
“Especially if it’s Fredrick.”  
“Got it.” Varian leaned his head back, giving Hugo a quick kiss on the lips.  
“I love you.”  
“I love you too, Goggles.”  
———  
When Hugo woke up, he was greeted by a weight on his chest and Varian in his arms. It had been four years since the day they met, three and a half since they started dating. He thought of the ring he had hidden in one of the drawers of his bedside table. It was a simple gold band with a small row of diamonds embedded in the center. He looked down, and was met with Varian’s big, blue eyes.  
“Good morning, Freckles.”  
“Good morning.” Varian readjusted a little so he could snuggle into Hugo. The blonde pulled him closer. Hugo placed a kiss to the top of his head, and Varian tilted his head up with a quiet whine. Hugo laughed quietly before cupping his cheek and kissing his lips. Varian smiled into the kiss and pulled the blonde closer. Hugo pulled away after a moment.  
“I love you.”  
“I love you, too, Hugo.” The blonde paused for a moment.  
"I have something for you. I was going to wait until later, but I don't really want to."  
"Someone's being cryptic," Varian said as Hugo pulled away. He took out the ring box and took a deep breath before getting down on one knee and opening it.  
"Holy shit," Varian whispered, shooting up.  
"Varian Ruddiger, from the first time I ever laid eyes on you, I knew I was screwed. You're cute, you're smart, you're funny, you're sweet. I love you more than anything else. So, Varian, will you marry me?" Varian let out a quiet laugh. He turned around, rummaging around in his bedside table for a moment. He climbed across the bed and sat down in front of Hugo before showing him what he had.  
A ring box. He opened it, and a simple silver band was sitting inside it.  
"I was going to ask you tonight." Varian looked up at the blonde.  
"Is that a yes?"  
"Of course it's a yes! How could it not be?" Hugo took Varian's hand and slipped the ring onto it. Varian did the same to him, and Hugo scooped him into a hug.  
"I love you so much, Varian."  
"I love you, too."


End file.
